Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Well, will you look at that! It turns out I had one last
story to tell for 2014. You see, last week, I was fortunate enough to get lots
of outdoor walking worked into my day because of Christmas vacation. Walking
outside does something to my brain, it wanders ­– in a good way – and that’s
usually when I start planning my next post. So, here we are.

As I was enjoying the sunshine, I started thinking about all
the posts that I've already written and what driving analogies I may have
missed. Then it dawned on me, with the new year starting and the images of
gyms, news articles and opinion pieces, Facebook memes and pretty much any ad
on TV or radio that inundates our subconscious with ideas that everyone’s New
Year’s Resolution is (or should be) weight-loss, I decided that I would dive
right into that saturated field and offer my own opinions on the subject.
Please note that everything I state here is strictly my opinion and I have
received no compensation for what I’m about to say!

For those who have decided that 2015 is going to be “The
Year” of successful weight loss, I would offer this suggestion: treat it like
Driver’s Ed. Before you went out to get your Driver’s License, you had to
become familiar with the car and the rules of the road. For many of us,
learning on our own or with the help of a parent was not enough, so we enrolled
in Driver’s Ed and used the support of the teacher and other classmates to help
us learn and eventually pass the test.

Starting this journey shouldn't be any different. There are
some people who are successful at losing weight without any outside assistance,
they are rare, but I don’t doubt they exist. I am not one of them. I need the
support and the tools of my Weight Watchers group to continue my success. Now,
I've changed a lot of habits over the years, so I’m not as dependent as I was
in the beginning, but the right group or program will allow you to spread your
wings. To be successful, you must be allowed to share, vent, support others, be
supported, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes and never stop growing.
Programs (like Weight Watchers or Shibboleth)
and retreats(such as Green Mountain at Fox Run)that focus on education and support seem to be
the most successful platforms.But
ultimately, the program that is successful for you is the one in which you want
to follow.

When you
learn the proper driving techniques from qualified instructors, your driving
record is usually better than someone who is just winging it. That’s not to say
that you won’t ever get a ticket or be in an accident, but at least you have
been given the tools to learn how to recognize the signs of dangerous road
conditions. These groups operate in much the same manner. Just by attending the
meetings doesn't guarantee that you will lose weight, you must take on the
responsibility to use what you learn and not expect it to come without hard
work. I realize that sounds a bit
preachy, and I typically try to keep everything here light-hearted, but I can’t
stress enough that it is ultimately up to you to be successful in your journey.
You can have the support of the entire planet, but you must be the one who puts
the key in the ignition and starts the car. Knowing that you have the support
of a driving instructor along for the ride should make things easier in the
beginning, but the instructor is only there to impart her knowledge, you must
be willing to absorb it and put it into action so that you take control of your
own vehicle. After a while, you may find that you've mastered some of the
techniques so well that you are willing to put yourself in the instructor’s
seat for those newbies that are about to hit the road with their New Year’s
Resolutions!

I hope that 2015 finds you happy and healthy and I encourage you all to enjoy your own Road Trip! You are worth the journey!

Monday, December 22, 2014

I’m sorry that I've been slacking, things are just crazy
busy for me! Trust me, it’s not that I’m not interested in keeping my eyes on
the road, I just haven’t had time to really focus on what matters, and that’s a
most unfortunate thing. But now, with Thanksgiving behind us, Hanukkah starting
last week, Christmas this week, culminating with the binge drinking
and binge eating event otherwise known as New Year’s Eve, I just figured it was
time to examine where I am on the map. After all, isn't the end of the year the
best time for reflection? Looking at where you've been this past year in order
to plan where you are going for next year.

I had to ask myself a few
questions:

Where
have I been? Well, in 2014, I logged about 1846 miles worth of walking this
year (with yet another week to go, I should end somewhere close to 1900 miles),
hit my goal weight, had my story featured on CNN.com, appeared on the TV
show “The Doctors” and was interviewed for Fitwoman.com, so all in all, 2014 was
a great year.

Where
am I going? No one knows what the future holds, but I do know that I will
be focusing more on my passion in 2015. This weight loss journey has not only
inspired the birth of this blog, but it has also given me the spark I need to
put myself out there as a writer. I expect that spark to grow into a much
larger, brighter flame this upcoming year. I will most definitely be making time
to nurture that spark in 2015!

How do
I keep moving forward? It’s not easy to stay on track, especially this time
of year, but there are little reminders—road signs, if you will— that I come across on my journey. It’s
those little signs that help me stay focused. For instance, at my meeting this
past Saturday, one of my awesome meeting friends gave me a custom Christmas card
telling me how I inspire her to continue on. It was the best feeling, knowing
that what I've done, and continue doing, helps others. When I started back in
2011, my goal wasn't to inspire others, I was lucky if I could inspire myself,
but as I have attested many times right here on this blog, I get my inspiration
from those who surround me. That is how I keep moving
forward!

How do I navigate these
holidays? I can’t believe it, but the Holiday season will be over before
long and knowing that I have the tools and trusting in the awareness to keep my
eyes on the road ahead is what helps me stay the course. One thing Margie the
Magnificent is fond of saying is “they are called ‘HoliDAYS’, not ‘HoliMONTHS’!”
Meaning, we are allowed to celebrate the day, but don’t let it continue on
for the entire month of Octovember (also known as October, November and
December)! We've all worked too long and too hard for a derailment this close to
the end of the year.

I've found that self-reflection
and self-awareness always seem to be my two best road trip buddies. Usually, I
typically lose focus when I ignore who I am and what I’m doing. Self-doubt
and self-recrimination are the worst possible traveling companions for any
journey. The best thing I've ever done was leave those two along the side of the
road somewhere, and never look back. Besides, I just didn't have enough room in the
car to keep carrying them along.

How will you answer the
questions? Will you be able to find your spark in the new year? That is my
Christmas wish for you...live your passion and may you never have a wasted
day.

I most likely will not be posting
again until next year, so to all of you out there, have a very Merry Christmas
and a brilliant and blessed New Year!